


I Know Places

by lovetylerchalex



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV), Andi Mack (TV), Love Simon (2018), Love Victor (TV 2020), Shameless (US), The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Coming Out, Friendship/Love, Gay Pride, M/M, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26428930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetylerchalex/pseuds/lovetylerchalex
Summary: Chalex Summer Vacation AU where they run into some other iconic gay TV couples along the way.
Relationships: Benjamin "Benji" Campbell/Victor Salazar, Bram Greenfeld/Simon Spier, Charlie St. George/Alex Standall, Cyrus Goodman/T. J. Kippen, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Jude Adams Foster/Connor Stevens, Victor Salazar/Andrew Spencer
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24





	1. Welcome to Shadyside

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!!! Here's another idea I've thought of where Alex and Charlie go on this long ass trip around the U.S. while they bump into some of my other favorite gay TV ships/couples along the way.

Alex and Charlie decide to go on a whole tour around the United States for their summer vacation. After spending the first half of June doing long hours of work, they finally gain enough money for their multiple flights across the country. The first destination they had planned to go was the small town of Shadyside, right outside of Salt Lake City. After flying away from their Californian homeland and landing into Utah territory, the boys gather their stuff and exit the airport.

"Here we are, Alex." Charlie shouted. "Shadyside!"

"Why is it called that anyway?" Alex said. "Is everyone super shady in this city?"

"You never know." Charlie joked.

After reaching their hotel and checking in, Alex and Charlie decide to go play around a bit at the city park before dinner.

"Ooh... swings!" Charlie gasped with glee.

The jock dashes towards the nearby swing set and immediately starts swinging himself high along with it. Alex, however, sits on his seat without doing any playful movements.

"Hey, babe! Get up here!" The jock pleaded.

"Nah, I'm good." Alex groaned.

"Come on! You can't be that jet lagged." Charlie chuckled in the air.

"That's just my face, you dork." The nerd said.

Charlie fiercely jumps off the swing set and sneaks up behind the smaller boy. Before he knew it, Alex had found myself being sent flying sky high by the force of his boyfriend's rigid, athletic hands.

"AHH what the hell, Charles!!!" Alex screeched.

Charlie continues to laugh as he keeps pushing Alex up the swings. As they continued playing with one another, two other boys start to approach the swing set.

"Oh no, TJ. They took our spot!" Cyrus pouted.

"Hold on a minute... Cyrus, it's them!" TJ said. "Those guys we saw on the news where it talked about Liberty High being the first school in the U.S. to award two prom kings!"

"Wait, seriously?" Cyrus gasped. "Two gay guys won prom king and queen?

"I think one of them is bisexual, actually." TJ pointed out.

"And everyone was accepting?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah! Crazy right?" TJ gushed. "We should say hello!"

Cyrus and TJ approach the older couple and Alex and Charlie disband themselves from the swing set.

"Hi, uh... can we help you?" Alex said.

"You two are Alex Standall and Charlie St. George, correct? Those Liberty High guys from the news?" TJ said. "Congrats for being the first gay couple in this country to be crowned king and king at Prom!"

"Like forreal! Literally one of the biggest cultural resets in the history of this universe!" Cyrus said with great eagerness.

"Aww thank you guys." Alex smiled. "Charles, it looks like we have some fans."

"Really?" Charlie whispered. "We have fans?"

Ever since Alex and Charlie's historic night at prom, their names ended up being on the cover story of every single news headline and magazine for the past several weeks due to Tyler placing them on the "best couples" section of their high school yearbook. Despite making many homophobes pressed, other queer people in the world had become more confident with their sexuality because of them.

"I’m Cyrus and this is my boyfriend, TJ." The younger boy said as he and TJ shook the other couple's hands.

"Nice to meet you guys!" Alex and Charlie replied.

"Far from home, I see?" Cyrus guessed.

"Yeah, we just landed here not too long ago." Alex answered.

As both of the couples continue interacting, Charlie insists Alex to ask the young friendly strangers to tour them around Shadyside.

"If y'all don't mind, do y'all want to give me and my boo a little tour around this town?" Alex asked. 

"Absolutely!" Cyrus replied. "Where to first?"

Alex could feel his stomach growling loudly due to skipping his lunch. 

"Umm is there a place we can eat first?" Alex asked. "I'm really hungry."

"Yes, Cyrus knows a place." TJ said. "Come follow."

Alex and Charlie follow the younger boys as they begin their first journey through new uncharted territory. After exiting the park, the boys make their way near downtown until Cyrus signals the newcomers to enter his favorite restaurant.

"Welcome to The Spoon." Cyrus smiled.

"Don't mind my boyfriend." TJ said. "He loves making a dramatic entrance."

The boys proceed to sit at the nearest table inside the diner.

"So... What would you like to eat?" Cyrus asked. 

Alex scrolls through the menu and becomes befuddled with the meals that were shown.

"These look... odd." Alex cringed. "I'll just let y'all pick for me."

"I know!" Cyrus beamed. "You have to try the baby taters!"

"Here we go." TJ said, shaking his head.

"What can get you guys this evening?" The waiter asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Two large baskets of baby taters please!" Cyrus responded. "And four waters!"

After a fifteen minute wait, the two couples have their meals served and they proceed to eat their dinner. 

"Holy shit, these are delicious!" Alex said happily with his mouth full.

"Alex! Language!" Charlie laughed.

"Oh we don't mind." TJ chuckled. "Not sure about Underdog though."

"My family has a big issue with cursing!" Cyrus mentioned.

The group continues to eat and talk as time passes. 

"So how long have you guys been dating?" Charlie asked the younger boys.

"Almost a year now!" Cyrus answered with his mouth full. "TJ's going to be a sophomore while I'll be a freshman."

"Nice." Charlie nodded. "Are you scared about starting high school?"

"A little... but good thing I got Teej here to protect me, am I right?" Cyrus smiled.

"Anything for you Cy-Babe!" TJ said with confidence before kissing his boyfriend.

Alex and Charlie grin with amusement as they examine the two young boys being affectionate towards each other in public. Charlie then proceeds to look at his watch and becomes wary of the time.

"Oh geez, it's getting late!" Charlie said. "Me and Alex should get some sleep. Our flight was exhausting today."

Once they were finished with their meals, Alex and the younger boys wait outside until Charlie was done paying their bill.

"It was nice meeting you guys!" Alex smiled.

"Same here." Cyrus responded. "How long will you guys be staying in Shadyside?"

"About three-four days tops." Charlie nodded. "Then me and Alex are gonna travel to either Rapid City or Chicago next."

"Awesome!" TJ gushed.

"In the meantime... maybe we could all do something? Like tomorrow?" Charlie suggested. "You know... to get to know each other better?"

"Ooh yes yes, I absolutely love making new friends!" Cyrus beamed. "What do you think, TJ?"

"I'm down if y'all are!" TJ agreed. "The fair opens tomorrow if y'all are interested. We could hangout there are or explore other parts of the city."

"Absolutely!" Alex and Charlie said in unison. "Well see you later guys! Can't wait to see what this town has to offer!"

"Bye!" Cyrus and TJ responded, waving at the other couple before seeing them walk away down the street.

Alex and Charlie make their way back to their hotel and proceed to rest underneath their bed while watching TV. They turn the TV on to see that Fox News was doing a report on the couple.

"Eww.. not the Trump-infested Fox News!" Alex gagged. "Babe, switch to CNN please!"

"Why? It's a new channel." Charlie chuckled. "They can't be that bad."

Charlie then adjusts his eyesight to see that the news channel's headline was saying: Evergreen County Spreads REVOLTING Homosexual Agenda and It Must Be Stopped.

"Yup never mind. Let's just watch Disney Channel instead." Charlie gulped.

Alex playfully squints his eyelids low at his boyfriend while watching him change the channel.

"Ooh yes! Andi Mack!" Alex cheered. "I fucking love this show! I ship Cyborg and RJ so much!"

"Hold on. Those two guys kinda look like those strangers we just met!" The jock pointed out.

"Really?" Alex said as he examined the two characters on the screen. "Nah. I don't see it."

The nerd adjusts his comfort level by cuddling his sweet, quarterback boyfriend into his arms, causing Charlie to do the same.

"Speaking of Cyrus and TJ, they seem like pretty interesting guys." Alex admitted. "I hope we had taught them enough to be proud and love who they are."

"Agreed." Charlie nodded before resting his head on Alex's.

As night falls, they continue to watch television until Charlie notices that his nerdy boyfriend has already fallen asleep. Charlie kisses Alex on the forehead before holding him gently underneath the blankets. And so the famous prom kings of America sleep inside the comfort of their Utah hotel room, dreaming about the memories they will soon make in the future of their trip.


	2. Stardom at the Fair

The next morning, Alex and Charlie wake up and prepare themselves for a great day of exploring more of Shadyside. After the two boys had finished breakfast, they take the taxi to travel to the fair that their new stranger friends mentioned. Once they reach their destination, the couple sees Cyrus and TJ already waiting in front.

"Morning, my fellow queer divas!" Cyrus said with enthusiasm.

TJ rolls his eyes after hearing his boyfriend's weird sense of humor.

"Good morning, superfans." Charlie replied. "Shall we go in?"

"Let's go!" Alex begged.

"Not just yet. We still have to wait for the others." TJ said. "I invited some of our friends to join us."

"Oh cool!" Alex nodded.

Cyrus and TJ turn around to see their other schoolmates, Andi and Amber.

"Hey you guys!" Andi waved. "Glad to tag along!"

"We are so happy you could make it, Andi-Man!" Cyrus said. "You too, Amber."

"O. M. Double G. Is that them, Cy?" Amber whispered, pointing at the older couple.

The younger nerd nods his head in response and then the two girls begin to introduce themselves to Alex and Charlie.

"Hi! TJ and Cyrus told us all about you two." Andi said as she bowed down in front of them. "Y'all have made a huge impact on the LGBTQ+ community with what you guys did."

"We are also big fans, by the way!" Amber added. "The name's Amber and this is my girlfriend, Andi."

"Aww thank you!" Alex and Charlie responded with joy. "Nice to meet you too."

"Shall we go in and fun?" TJ asked.

"Let's do this thing!" The rest of the group chanted.

And so the Evergreen couple and their new Shadyside friends enter the town fair. They decide to ride the rollercoaster first to surge their energy, then the merry-go-round, and then the zero-gravity space ride. Although the older boys and the girls screamed with joy while spinning with the ship, Cyrus was already on the midst of throwing up due to the fast rotation of the ride. Next, Alex and Charlie play fight with the lesbian couple on the bumper cars while TJ watches his silly boyfriend vomit over the nearest trash can. After going through many more exhilarating rides and fun games, the three gay couples decide to take a ride on the ferris wheel together.

"I'm never going on that zero gravity ride again!" Cyrus gagged.

"Maybe if you hadn't ate way too much of your homemade baby taters this morning." TJ teased.

"Shut up." Cyrus said, pinching his boyfriend's shoulder.

Each duo proceeds to find a seat of their own and then the giant wheel begins to turn. As they go upward, Alex, Charlie, and the others observe the vast wonders of the carnival from above as the morning sun rises.

"Well, me and Charlie loved that ride, and the roller coaster too!" Alex mentioned.

"Same. Although the fast motions kinda ruined my hair a little." Amber said.

"It looks fine." Andi chuckled.

"But babe, look at these split ends!" Amber wailed.

Suddenly the ferris wheel ride stops, leaving Alex and Charlie at the very top while the younger friends were in between them. TJ and Cyrus begin to hear loud screams coming from below and look down to see massive armies of teenagers.

"What the heck?" TJ gasped. "Cy, I thought you texted only Andi and Amber about them."

"Huh? I did!" Cyrus said, confused. "I texted them saying oh my god we met the prom kings from-"

The young nerd checks his phone to see that he accidentally sent the text to all his classmates from Jefferson Middle School and TJ's high school friends from Grant.

"Oh dear." Cyrus gulped.

"ALEX! CHARLIE! Paparazzi incoming!" TJ shouted.

The older couple glances down at the loud crowd of teenage fans that circulated the big ride.

"KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!" The crowd chanted.

Alex and Charlie had heard these familiar chants before, back during the very moment the two of them were crowned prom kings. Both of the guys smile widely as they were reminiscing, leading them to happily accept their request. And so Alex Standall and Charlie St. George end up kissing in front of a large crowd once again. Loud cheers start to ring from the crowd as the famous prom kings continue kissing.

"Hey." TJ said, getting Cyrus' attention.

Cyrus turns to look at the young jock and gets caught by surprise when TJ presses his lips over his. Then the flashing camera lights shift from the older couple to the younger gay duo, and eventually the crowd does the same with Andi and Amber. 

"Omg! Are we famous now?" Amber grinned after kissing her girlfriend.

"Why do I feel like we're in a _Love Simon_ type of movie?" Andi sighed.

The ferris wheel starts moving again. Once reaching the ground, Amber skips off towards all the people taking pictures and starts making poses while the rest of guys exit their seats. The younger guys carefully follow Alex and Charlie as they slowly walk through the immense crowds of teenage boys and girls. Andi tries her best to maintain her anxiety while Cyrus and TJ wave their hands up high. As the group tries to find an open exit, the strangers around them start to holler out different types of compliments and questions.

"You guys are so cute together!"

"Charlie you are so hot!"

"Alex, how did you make such a handsome jock like that fall for you?"

"Did you really call Charlie a golden retriever in a human body?"

"When did you guys start dating?"

"This is a gays only event. Gays only!"

"Is it true that your boyfriend has a weird obsession with Eli Manning?"

"Which one is the top and who's the bottom?"

Alex starts to cringe in embarrassment after hearing that last question while Charlie just laughs it off.

"Uhh... aren't you a little young to be knowing these terms?" The jock chuckled as he answered that one fan.

"Babe, can we get out of here now?" Alex begged. "I'm thirsty!"

Charlie grasps on to Alex's hand making sure they were interlocked tightly and then proceeds to lead their pack of gays out of the swarms of middle-aged children.

"Wait what's a bottom and a top?" Cyrus asked.

"You really... don't wanna know." Alex said in disgust.

Eventually security guards come to the rescue and block the crowds from invading the couples' space any further. Alex stops by a concession stand and buys lunch and drinks for everyone. After eating their meals, they all finally exit the fair after a long morning of experiencing nothing but absolute fun.

"Whew, well that was a blast." Andi exhaled.

"Right on!" Alex and Charlie responded.

"Yep." Cyrus nodded. "So guys... we are planning on taking Alex and Charlie to the art exhibit next. Y'all wanna come?"

"Can't, sorry." Amber said. "Andi and I already have plans with Buffy. She wants us to practice our dance moves for her TikTok videos."

"It's alright, well see you gals later!" TJ said.

"Bye guys! Bye Alex, Charlie!" Andi and Amber said, waving as they walked away.

"Goodbye!" The older couple replied.

And so Alex and Charlie proceed to continue their journey around town and follow TJ and Cyrus to their next destination.


	3. Karaoke Night

A couple days pass and Alex and Charlie have learned new info and made more discoveries about the not-so-shady town of Shadyside. Within those times they had been introduced to a bunch of cool architecture at the city art exhibit, then having a glimpse of Cyrus and TJ's local high school, and competing against each other at the bowling alley. Now on Alex and Charlie's very last day in the city, Cyrus and TJ decide to take the prom kings to the music studio where Bowie, Andi's dad, and the younger couple's other friend, Jonah Beck, would practice singing.

"Hey Jo-lama-jama!" Cyrus smirked. "Guess who?"

"Who what?" Jonah said in confusion. "Who are they?"

"Jonah, we literally told you a few days ago." TJ sighed. "Alex and Charlie? The prom kings from the news?"

"Ohhhh!" Jonah said longingly. "Hey guys!"

"Don't mind, Jonah." Cyrus whispered. "He can be oblivious sometimes but we love him anyway."

Jonah proceeds to introduce himself in front of the older couple, then takes them on a little tour around the studio. Jonah starts off by showing them his instruments, the sound equipment, and the recording room. Next he opens up his laptop and plays a few snippets of songs he had made for Alex and Charlie to hear.

"These are awesome stuff." Charlie nodded. "And these songs sound so good! Have you done any live performances yet?"

"Yes absolutely!" Jonah answered. "Speaking of that, I'm actually doing a little karaoke party with the Macks tonight at the city park. Y'all should come."

"We'd love to." Alex and Charlie agreed.

"Cool." Jonah smiled. "Can't wait to see you there!"

The young boy says his farewells to the older couple and his friends before entering the recording room to work on some stuff. For the rest of the day, the quadruple pack of queers continue to hang out together. After exhilarating hours of watching Netflix movies and playing video games at TJ's house, Alex and Charlie along with Cyrus and TJ make their way to the city park to watch Jonah's mini concert. They become instantly astounded by Jonah and Bowie's vocals. After the song was finished, the young singer spots Alex and the others within the crowd.

"Charlie! Alex!" Jonah shouted. "Come up here."

Every person around the two boys turns to look at them. Alex had assumed they already recognized who he and his boyfriend are. And he was right. He sees some people pull out their phones to record him and Charlie. Even though he doesn't mind having a little fame, at times Alex would feel very overwhelmed by the invasion of his privacy.

"I don't really sing." Alex shook his head.

"Go!" Cyrus and TJ persuaded. "Just do your best, man!"

The nerd hesitates for a moment before getting dragged by Charlie over to the mics. Charlie then whispers in Jonah's ear to tell him the song of his choice that he wanted to cover. Jonah accepts his request and begins to play the karaoke version of the song from the speakers.

"This goes out to my lovely boyfriend, Alex Standall." Charlie gushed, pointing towards Alex.

Alex sweats and blushes at the same time, knowing that his strong and manly partner had much more confidence than he did in this current situation. But deep down he knew that Charlie would always be there to balance both of their determination levels out. And so Alex Standall's handsome, athletic boyfriend proceeds to sing the first verse.

_In the town I grew up_

_I met a boy_

Alex's eyes suddenly glisten after recognizing the melody that Charlie just sang. It was that exact same song that he heard from their high school prom dance, except that it was slightly changed to fit their proper pronouns. Alex had never forgotten how perfect he had memorized the lyrics all while slow dancing with Charlie that night. The smaller boy's smile gets wider as his precious Charlie St. George continues singing. 

_He was lovely enough_

_I said to him..._

The taller boy causes Alex to feel hypnotized by his dazzling vocals and handsomeness.

_"Would you like to fall in love with me?"_ Alex began to sing.

Charlie grins with joy as his nerdy boyfriend finally joins in. The two boys bring themselves close to each other without even noticing that the crowd was swaying left and right, including Cyrus and his friends.

_Oh tell me boy... I said would you like to fall in love with me?_

_Now tell me boy..._

As Charlie hears the song coming to a close, he signals Jonah to play another song. Jonah walks over to Andi's parents to pick another song from the playlist.

"Ooh let's see..." Bowie said.

"Aha! This one!" Bex beamed. "Who doesn't love this one?"

Andi's mom, Bex, begins to play _Just The Way You Are_ by Bruno Mars on the soundboard. Charlie's positive energy rapidly rises while Alex leans his head down in embarrassment.

"Oh no, not this song." Alex groaned.

The nerd would always have eargasms to Bruno's songs, especially this iconic hit. Charlie begins his second performance and pulls Alex closer to his body, making their noses align with each other. 

_Oh, his eyes, his eyes_

_Make the stars look like they're not shining_

_His hair, his hair_

_Falls perfectly without him trying_

_He's so beautiful and I tell him everyday_

Cyrus and TJ release their inner fanboy as they notice Alex blushing bright red. 

_Yeah, I know, I know_

_When I compliment him he won't believe me_

_And it's so, it's so_

_Sad to think that he don't see what I see_

_But every time he asks me, "Do I look okay?"_

_I say_

And so enough Alex's anxiety diminishes as he focused less on the strangers watching him and more on his boyfriend's soothing vocals.

_When I see your face_

_There's not a thing that I would change_

_Cause you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

_And when you smile_

_The whole world stops and stares for a while_

_Cause boy you're amazing_

_Just the way you are_

A couple verses pass and the song reaches its end, but Alex wanted this moment to last forever.

"You're a dork, you know that?" Alex laughed, holding the jock's cheeks.

"That's an odd way to misspell _hopeless romantic_." Charlie teased.

Alex punches his shoulder and pecks a light kiss on the taller boy's lips.

"I love you." Alex smiled. "You big idiot."

"I love you too, baby." Charlie said back, scrunching their noses together.

Alex ignores the loud screams from the crowd as he starts making out with Charlie.

"I'm not crying, you are!" Cyrus wailed as he finished recording the couple.

Once they finish kissing, Alex and Charlie bow down as the crowd gave their standing ovation. And so the prom kings and their new friends continue singing and dancing the night away. From all the hours they have spent in Shadyside, Alex and Charlie concluded that the past three days were the most fun times they had experienced in a while. So as a promise to never forget these events, they post every single pic they had took together with Cyrus, TJ, and their friends on their social media. 

The next morning, it was time for the explorers to leave town. After checking out of their hotel, Charlie decides to snapchat the younger boys to meet at the park so that he and his boyfriend could say their goodbyes. Alex high-fives and hugs Cyrus while Charlie fist bumps with TJ.

"I'll cherish these moments forever." Cyrus declared.

"Me too." Alex chuckled. "Be good, you two! Don't let the haters or homophobes mess up your good vibes!"

"We'll try our best! Goodbye!" TJ hollered.

"Bye, superfans!" Alex and Charlie waved before entering their taxi.

"Bye guys!" Cyrus shouted. "If y'all plan on going to New York, take some pics of the Pride Parade if you can!"

And so Alex and Charlie wave farewell to their new young queer friends and travel back to the airport so that they can fly over to their next destination.


	4. Off to Chicago

As soon as Alex Standall and Charlie St. George both enter the airport, they immediately take their seats in the waiting area to rest until their flight is ready to depart. The two of them enter their plane and proceed to sit down at the very back. Alex takes the window seat while his boyfriend follows beside him. Charlie takes out a blanket from his backpack and puts it over him and Alex that way neither of them will get too cold.

"Next stop, Chicago!" Charlie cheered.

"Right on!" Alex grinned, letting Charlie hug his shoulder.

Once they had settled down, another guy appears to take the empty seat beside them.

"Hello, strangers." The man said. "Don't mind my ghetto look. I don't smell as bad as I look, I promise."

"You're good, man." Alex answered. "I'm Alex, and this is Charlie."

"Pleasure. Mickey's the name." Mickey smiled as he put his backpack under his seat.

As he shakes each of the boys' hands, Mickey observes the two young adults and slowly begins to recognize their faces.

"Wait a minute... Aren’t y'all those Liberty High fags from the news who won that dance thingy?" Mickey asked. 

"Yup! That's us!" Charlie answered as he patted Alex's shoulder.

"Um... dude. I don’t think you're supposed to use that word." Alex chuckled.

"No no I didn’t say that to offend y'all! It's okay. I'm a gay man myself." Mickey mentioned. "In my head, I’m allowed."

The couple raise their eyebrows knowing that there was another proud-and-out gay man among them.

"Oh! Alrighty." Alex nodded. "And don't worry, we're not offended whatsoever."

"So... Mickey. You excited about going to Chicago as well?" Charlie began to ask.

"Yes... and no. Chicago is my hometown, actually." Mickey pointed out. "I traveled over here in Shadyside for a few days to visit some old friends. Now it's time to go back to my husband and his family back home."

"Cool." Charlie nodded. "Me and my boyfriend here plan on seeing all the amazing attractions once we get there."

"Nice!" Mickey responded.

The three guys continue to chat as more passengers enter the aircraft to fill up the rest of the empty seats. And soon enough the plane starts to take off towards the blue sky, leaving the town of Shadyside far behind. Three and a half hours pass, and Mickey proceeds to take out his phone to facetime his husband as Alex and Charlie were napping.

"Gallagher!" Mickey beamed.

"Hey, Mick." Ian greeted. "Coming back home already?"

"Fuck yes!" Mickey nodded. "Been missing my top, you know what I mean?"

"Aww I miss you too... fuck-face." Ian flirted back.

Mickey lifts his middle finger close to his phone screen and blows a kiss.

"You won't believe who I'm sitting next to." Mickey said with excitement.

"Oh?" Ian asked.

The gangster turns the phone camera to have it facing the two sleeping boys that were beside him.

"No. Fucking. Way." Ian gasped. "Them?"

"Mhm." Mickey nodded.

Their conversation suddenly gets interrupted when the flight attendant tells everyone that the plane will now fly down lower altitudes for landing.

"Oh shit, I gotta hang up! The plane's about to descend." Mickey said.

"Alrighty bye Mick! Love you." Ian waved. "Let me know when you land!"

"Suck my dick!" Mickey teased. "Kidding, I love you too Carrot-Top. Bye bitch!"

Mickey ends the facetime as the airplane begins to descend from the clouds. Alex and Charlie begin to wake up as soon as the plane has landed at the Chicago airport. Once the passengers start to make their exit, Mickey allows the couple to go first before him. The three guys gather their belongings and proceed to leave their aircraft and enter the Chicago airport.

"Well... guess this is where we part ways." Mickey shrugged. "Hopefully I'll see y'all around during your little vacation."

"Likewise." Alex smiled. "See you later, I think!"

"Goodbye, Mickey!" Charlie waved.

"Adiós motherfuckers!" Mickey said jokingly as he made his leave.

And so Alex and Charlie cheerfully stroll through the building until they finally exit the airport to begin the second chapter of their wondrous adventure.


	5. Journey to the South Side

Alex and Charlie quickly enter a nearby taxi so that they could travel to their fancy casino hotel inside the downtown area of Chicago. As their ride drove closer to the heart of the city, the couple became stunned by the wondrous buildings and skyscrapers they were seeing from the rear window. But then Alex adjusts his view and suddenly notices that there was black smoke evaporating from a random building. Once the taxi has made it to its stop, the couple exits the vehicle and quickly run to where the fire hazard was taking place. From glancing up at the flaming building, turns out it was in fact the hotel that Alex and Charlie were supposed to stay in.

"What the hell?" Alex gasped. "That's our hotel, right?"

"Well that's $350 down the drain!" Charlie shook his head.

Alex smacks his boyfriend hard on the shoulder after getting irritated by him using humor at the wrong time.

"What?" Charlie said, confused.

The sound of a siren blares off a distance and a firetruck appears from the side of the road. The boys and the people around them watch as the firefighters use their gigantic hoses to help extinguish the flames. Minutes later many ambulances drive towards the commotion and the paramedics come out to take care of the people who got injured by the fires.

"Damn. Where are we gonna stay now?" Alex whined.

As Alex and Charlie were busy watching the hazard, they suddenly hear the sound of a familiar voice.

"Hey!" Mickey called.

The couple turns around to see Mickey sneaking up behind them.

"Mickey?" Charlie said. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"I could say the same with y'all two." Mickey said. "Well after my husband picked me up, we decided to eat lunch at the downtown mall. We did a bit of shopping and shit, then once Ian and I walked out, that's when we both saw this hotel being on fire. Streets are apparently saying a drug dealer and a highly convicted criminal were responsible for this."

"What? That's awful!" Alex gasped. "Now me and Charlie have no place to sleep in."

"You don't?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah. We booked this hotel a few days ago back when we were staying in Shadyside." Charlie said.

"Damn. You know what... come with me and Ian." Mickey said. "Y'all can stay at our place for the time being."

"Real-really?" Alex mumbled. 

"Well I ain't gonna let y'all waste 400-something dollars for nothing!" The gangster laughed. "Lego!"

Alex and Charlie both shrug at each other before following Mickey to his husband's vehicle.

"Holy shit!" Ian gasped. "They're here? In front of our faces? Are they going with us, Mick?"

"Yep. These boys need a place to crash since the building in front of us has entirely obliterated itself from existence." Mickey said.

"Alrighty. Buckle up boys!" Ian said as he turned the steering wheel. 

Ian drives off the curb and takes Mickey, Alex, and Charlie to the south side of the city. After stopping by a restaurant to pick up lunch for the Evergreen couple, the Gallaghers travel to their home within the suburban area of Chicago. Alex and Charlie glance at the suburbs from the rear windows as they reach the Gallagher home. The houses looked a lot more vintage and dirtier than their own homes back in Evergreen. The couple proceeds to follow Ian and Mickey inside the residence. The living room was filled with laundry and empty alcohol bottles scattered around the floor. Although Alex never had a problem with big messes, Charlie always had a high case of ataxophobia.

"Sorry about the mess." Ian said.

"It's okay. We'll adjust." Alex replied. "Right, Charlie?"

"Y-Yeah..." Charlie gulped before whispering to his boyfriend. "It's so... fucking... messy."

"Charles, calm down. Don't be rude." Alex whispered.

"But you know I have an issue with untidy rooms of any kind." Charlie pointed out. 

Ian and Mickey lead the boys up to the bedroom they would sleep in and decide to give the room to Alex and Charlie temporarily. Good thing the room wasn't as messy as the rest of the household, or else Charlie would've dramatically fainted on the spot.

"Thanks guys." Charlie smiled.

"Yeah thank you so much!" Alex said. "Me and Charlie would've hated sleeping in the streets."

"No problem." Mickey responded.

The Gallaghers proceed to leave downstairs to give their guests some privacy.

"The prom kings are living in our house!" Ian beamed. "Holy shit what should we do while they're here?"

"Pretty sure Alex and Charlie want a little tour around town." Mickey said. "Aha! Let's take them to the Alibi first."

"They're not even legal yet, dipshit." Ian grunted.

"So?" Mickey chuckled. "Though I wonder how they do it during-"

"Yeah let's shut up now." Ian said, covering his husband's mouth.

Ian pushes Mickey onto the couch and starts making out with him. Mickey doesn't hesitate to kiss back and begins to pull his husband's body closer to him. And so inside the comfort of their living room, Mickey decides to get down to business on "catching up" with Ian while trying his best not to make a racket. Meanwhile, Alex and Charlie were busy eating their meals while scrolling through their social media.

"Mmm! So fucking good!" Alex muffled as he was eating his lunch. "They are not gonna believe what just happened today."

Alex begins to group text the whole Gordon Lightfoot crew about the hotel incident while Charlie scans through the posts he had taken of their stay at Shadyside on Instagram.

"Chicago Day 1 so far has been very... EHHHH..." Alex groaned.

"Come on babe! I’m sure it will get better." Charlie said. "One disaster is not gonna stop us from having fun."

"You know what... maybe you're right, Charles." Alex laughed. "I mean what could possibly go wrong?"

And so Alex and Charlie continue to eat and rest inside their new stranger friends' bedroom while thinking about what to do next.


End file.
